Speaker Biographical Information

Pamela J. Bernard is Vice President and General Counsel of Duke University. Ms. Bernard is responsible for a wide variety of legal issues, including student and employment issues, health law, research issues, tax-exempt organizations, athletics, corporate matters, and coordinating litigation for the University. Prior to her appointment at Duke, she served as Vice President and General Counsel to the University of Florida. Ms. Bernard is past President of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, a national professional association for higher education lawyers. She served on its governing Board of Directors, numerous committees, and task forces over the past two decades. She was awarded NACUA’s 2004 Distinguished Service Award for her contributions to the field of higher education law practice. Ms. Bernard is a frequent speaker on legal issues, and also has authored papers and other publications relating to higher education law. From July 2007 to June 2011 she authored the “Legal Standpoint” column for Trusteeship magazine. Ms. Bernard served on Florida’s United States Federal District Court Civil Justice Reform Advisory Group and the Bench and Bar Fund Administration Committee. She was a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Committee on Amateurism, and currently serves on the NCAA’s General Counsel Advisory Board. She is past chair of the Florida Bar Committee on Education Law. Ms. Bernard received her Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Florida. Before becoming a lawyer, she was a private investment trustee.

Stephen D. Sencer is Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Emory University. Prior to Emory, he practiced at Williams & Connolly in Washington, D.C., and King & Spalding in Atlanta, specializing in litigation and government investigations. He also served as a trial attorney in the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office. Steve received his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School where he served as Managing Editor of the Law Review. After law school, he was a clerk for Judge Amalya Kearse of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City. He earned his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Steve joined Emory's legal team as an Associate General Counsel in 2001, and became a Deputy General Counsel in 2002. During his tenure at Emory, he has specialized in legal issues relating to technology transfer, scientific research, and risk management. He represented Emory in its $525 million sale of the Emtriva royalty stream, and has advised on the negotiation of technology licenses, new company formation, and license enforcement. In recent years he led a university study group on the future development of the Clifton Road corridor and helped create Emory's Enterprise Risk Management process. He also co-founded the Emory-South Africa Drug Discovery Training Program, has been an adjunct professor at Emory Law School, and is a Senior Fellow in the Emory Global Health Institute. Steve is currently a member of NACUA’s Committee on Finance and Audit and has in the past served on the Committees on Legal Education, Program and Publications.